General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: 153 years ago today the U.S. smashed the Rebel traitors at Gettysburg [View all]Lithos
(26,405 posts)The people who fought on both sides were not so single-issue.
Yes, one of the biggest causes of the Civil War was slavery. Yes, it was *the* underlying issue why politicians and their economic supporters chose to push for secession. But once the deed was done, it was not the reason why people chose to fight; why the common man left their farms to join into the campaign. What caused most people to fight was an appeal to Patriotism and to defense of Home and Hearth.
One of the biggest outcomes of the Civil War was the forging of a national identity when previously many people thought first of their state. Robert E. Lee is the easiest example of this - he waited to see where Virginia voted before resigning. He could not fight against his state. Once the state took side, many chose to rally to their state's colors. Many other people were conscripted, or served for economic reasons (paid to serve), or were called up because they were part of the standing militia. Many didn't fight for slavery, they fought for home and hearth. And those who fought because of Slavery were typically from the North, but it was not a given that people fighting in the Union Army was fighting to end slavery.
Of note is that the Civil War was one of the first Modern wars. In addition to the first modern weapons (machine guns, balloons, telegrams, mobility, ironclads), the Civil War was also one of the first which featured major propaganda efforts by both sides. It was relatively easy for the North to demonize the South over Slavery, while the South viewed the North in similar ways. This was the only way they could keep people motivated to fight such a nasty war. No different than the propaganda of WW 2 which demonized the Germans and Japanese and which these countries issued in turn against us.
But unlike WW2, the propaganda created during the Civil War is still being repeated today which is keeping the war alive. The war has ended, the propaganda needs to stop.
See:
https://ideologicalart.wordpress.com/war/
L-